Theft, Burglary, and Robbery Explained

Theft, burglary, and robbery may sound pretty similar upfront, but there are aspects that separate them completely. The one thing that all of these crimes share in common is the unlawful taking of someone else’s property.

What Are the Differences?

Theft: There are many different types of theft, but they are all very similar. To commit theft, a defendant will take another person’s property without consent to deprive the owner of its possession. You do it in a wrongful manner for the sake of depriving the victim of their property in any circumstance.

Robbery: This is when a defendant takes something from somebody by using force or threat of force. There must be another person involved and some sort of violence must have happened or at least the threat of violence must have occurred.

Burglary: To be convicted of burglary, a defendant does not have to take any property. However, the burglar must enter a structure with the intention of committing a crime within it. Breaking and entry often occurs in these cases.

What Defenses Can be Used?

If you have committed theft, burglary, or robbery, you may have some usable defenses in your case – so don’t give up hope. The prosecution will be attempting to prove that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt; however, without this burden of proof, anything is possible. If there is actual innocence, the charges will not keep. Entrapment is also a viable defense, such as somebody pushing the defendant into committing a robbery that they would not have otherwise committed. Lastly, somebody charged with one of these crimes may have the option to use the defense of duress, where a defendant can show that someone forced them to commit robbery by threatening them with death or bodily harm.

Theft, burglary, and robbery are very serious charges in their own ways, even though they are all different. This is why you should have a defense attorney on your side with experience. Call The Law Office of Peter Blair today for more information.